Plastic clip for the detachable connection of a trim plate to a support piece

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a plastic clip, for the detachable connection of a trim plate to a support piece, in particular, to the door frame of a motor vehicle. The clip comprises a head piece ( 1 ) and an anchoring foot ( 2 ), which may be inserted in an opening in the support piece ( 4 ) and an upper part ( 3 ), for fixing to the trim plate ( 6 ), which may be connected to the head piece ( 1 ) in a snap-fastening manner. The head piece ( 1 ) has the form of an open cylinder, with a central recess ( 7 ), on the edge ( 8 ) of which inwardly-projecting support segments ( 9 ) are formed, in order to guarantee application of the clip, even with variations in tolerance between the fixing site on the trim plate ( 6 ) and the fixing opening ( 5 ) in the support piece ( 4 ). Furthermore, a support plate ( 10 ) is provided above the anchoring foot ( 2 ), above which a T-shaped support pin ( 11 ) extends. The head ( 12 ) of said pin is of such a size that said pin may be engaged in the central recess, with elastic spreading of the support segments ( 9 ), whereby said segments ( 9 ) spring back together after the passage of the pin head ( 12 ) and, thus, are supported on the underside of the above.

[0001] The invention relates to a plastic clip, for the detachable connection of a trim plate to a support piece, in particular, to the door frame of a motor vehicle. The clip comprises a head piece and an anchoring foot, which may be inserted in an opening in the support piece, and an upper part, for fixing to the trim plate, which may be connected to the head piece in a snap-fastening manner.

[0002] Such a clip is known, for example, from DE 43 30 102 C2. With this clip it is considered a disadvantage that the head piece is connected as one piece to the anchoring foot and thus is rigidly mounted. Therefore, with this clip it is impossible to balance variations in tolerance between the fixing sites on the trim plate and the fixing openings in the support piece, if the upper part is rigidly connected to the trim plate.

[0003] In order to avoid this disadvantage, the inventive plastic clip is so configured that the head piece has the form of an open cylinder and comprises a central recess, on the edge of which inwardly-projecting support surfaces are formed, and that a support plate is provided above the anchoring foot, above which a T-shaped support pin extends, the head of which has such a size that said pin may be engaged in the central recess, with elastic spreading of the support segments, wherein said segments spring back together after the passage of the pin head and thus are supported on the underside of said head.

[0004] For reasons of casting it is appropriate if the head of the support pin at the upper edge is connected to the lower edge of the central recess via thin detachably connected webs. As a result, the two-part clip can be sprayed advantageously in a casting mold and subsequently can be combined into a clip by pressing the support head in the central recess of the head piece, which has another advantage in that the head of the support pin opposite the edges of the support segments can be moved radially to balance variation in tolerance.

[0005] With the prior art, the upper part, which may be connected to the head piece in a snap-fastening manner, usually is inserted in a keyhole-like pocket formed on the trim plate. However, because the variation in tolerance is balanced between the head piece and the support pin above the anchoring foot, according to another inventive feature it is appropriate and, from a production point of view, by all means feasible to integrate the upper part directly with the trim plate.

[0006] An inventive embodiment is shown in the drawing and explained in greater detail in the following. In the drawing:

[0007]FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of the plastic clip in delivery condition below an upper part which is formed on the trim plate;

[0008]FIG. 2 shows a profile of the same plastic clip with an upper part according to line II-II in FIG. 1;

[0009]FIG. 3 shows the same clip in assembled condition with pressed-on upper part above the opening of the support piece;

[0010]FIG. 4 shows the same clip after insertion in the opening and subsequent removal from the upper part; and

[0011]FIG. 5 shows three examples for the radial movability of the head piece to the a to c support pin with assembled clip.

[0012] The plastic clip shown in the figures essentially consists of a head piece 1, an anchoring foot 2, and an upper part 3 which is fixed to a trim plate 6 and may be connected to the head piece 1 in a snap-fastening manner.

[0013] As is indicated, especially in FIG. 2, the anchoring foot 2 is formed by two spring-loaded compressible support legs 17 which are connected to an umbrella-like support plate 10 via a central web 18 and which can be inserted in an opening 5 of a support part 4. As soon as the support plate 10 lies upon the support part 4 and the support legs 17 have passed the opening 5 of the support part 4, said support legs spring apart and attach in a known manner at the rear edge of the opening 5. Any plates, in particular, the door frame of a motor vehicle, can be used as support part 4.

[0014] The head piece 1 has the form of an open cylinder with a central recess 7, on the upper edge 8 of which inwardly-projecting support segments 9 are formed which follow the arc of the edge. A T-shaped support pin 11 extends above the support plate 10, the head 12 of which is so dimensioned that said pin may be engaged in the central recess 7, with elastic spreading of the support segments 9.

[0015] In this case, in the present embodiment the head 12 of the support pin 11 on its upper edge 13 is detachably connected to the lower edge 14 of the central recess 7 via several webs 15 which are distributed evenly on the periphery. As a result, the head piece 1 and the anchoring foot 2 are interconnected as one piece from production to delivery (FIG. 2) and are first pressed together by the manufacturer of the trim plate 6 by pressing on of the upper part 3 with elastic spreading of the support segments 9 (FIG. 3), wherein the segments 9 spring back together after the passage of the pin head 12 and the edges 16 of said sections are supported at the underside thereof.

[0016] As is indicated in FIGS. 5a to c, when engaged, the head 12 of the support pin 11 opposite the edges 16 of the support segments 9 is radially movable, so that the anchoring foot 2, when inserting said foot in the opening 5 of support part 4, can easily be adjusted in the proper position.

[0017] In the present embodiment, the upper part 3 is integrated with the trim plate 6, i.e., formed as a single piece, and consists of a ring 19 whose edge 20 can easily be directed towards the outside. Correspondingly, the head piece 1 at its upper edge 22, distributed around the periphery, comprises at least three detents 21 projecting towards the inside, which interact with the edge 20 in a snap-fastening manner.

[0018]FIG. 3 shows the plastic clip in assembled condition with the snapped-on upper part 3 prior to inserting the anchoring foot 2 in the direction of the arrow “E” in the opening 5 of the support piece 4. FIG. 4 shows the plastic clip which is firmly anchored in the support piece 4, after the upper part 3 has been detached in the direction of the arrow “L,” while the anchoring foot 2 remains in the opening 5 of the support piece 4. List of reference symbols  1 Head piece  2 Anchoring foot  3 Upper part  4 Support piece  5 Opening  6 Trim plate  7 Central recess  8 Upper edge of recess  9 Support segments 10 Support plate 11 Support pin 12 Head 13 Upper edge of head 14 Lower edge of recess 15 Detachable webs 16 Edges of the support segments 17 Support legs 18 Central web 19 Ring (of upper part) 20 Edge 21 Detents 22 Upper edge (of head piece) 

1. Plastic clip, for the detachable connection of a trim plate to a support piece, comprises a head piece (1) and an anchoring foot (2), which may be inserted in an opening (5) in the support piece (4), and an upper part (3), for fixing to the trim plate (6), which upper part may be connected to the head piece (1) in a snap-fastening manner, characterized in that the head piece (1) has the form of an open cylinder and comprises a central recess (7), on the edge (8) of which inwardly-projecting support surfaces (9) are formed, and that a support plate (10) is provided above the anchoring foot (2), above which plate a T-shaped support pin (11) extends, the head (12) of which has such a size that said pin may be engaged in the central recess (7), with elastic spreading of the support segments (9), wherein said segments (9) spring back together after the passage of the pin head (12) and thus are supported on the underside of said head.
 2. Plastic clip, as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the head (12) of the support pin (11) on the upper edge (13) is connected to the lower edge (14) of the central recess (7) via thin detachably connected webs (15).
 3. Plastic clip, as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when engaged, the head (12) of the support pin (11) opposite the edges (16) of the support segments (9) can be moved radially.
 4. Plastic clip, as defined in claims 1-3, characterized in that the upper part (3) is integrated directly with the trim plate (6).
 5. Plastic clip, as defined in claim 4, characterized in that the upper part (3) consists of a ring (19) whose edge (20) can easily be directed towards the outside, and the head piece (1) on its opposite edge (22) comprises at least three detents (21) projecting towards the inside, which interact with the edge (20) in a snap-fastening manner. 